Minister briefed me on intentions behind withdrawal of data protection Bill: Tharoor

A DAY after the government withdrew the Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday met chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology Shashi Tharoor and briefed him about the government’s future course of action on the Bill.

The government is now planning to come up with a “comprehensive legal framework” for regulating online space, including separate legislation on data privacy, the overall Internet ecosystem, cybersecurity, telecom regulations, and harnessing non-personal data for boosting innovation in the country.

It is planning to introduce a fresh Bill in the winter session of Parliament.

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Tharoor said Vaishnaw briefed him regarding the intentions behind the decision to withdraw the Bill from Lok Sabha. Vaishnaw also engaged with him on the “principles that will animate a future Bill”.

“I welcome the initiative of Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to brief me on the intentions behind GOI’s decision to withdraw the Data Protection Bill, and to engage with me on the principles that will animate a future Bill, which is promised for the winter session of Parliament,” Tharoor tweeted, along with pictures of his meeting with Vaishnaw.